Don Hertzfeld performs The Grand Illusion

If Walt Disney hadn’t been as crazy, but yet was also somehow more committed, we’d be obsessively watching the one full-length movie (or maybe the seven or eight shorts) he produced–written, drawn, animated, and scored solely by Walt–about a magical balloon that, one day, takes a lucky boy on an incredible flight. He wasn’t, though thankfully Don Hertzfeld is.

Tonight, at The Grand Illusion, Hertzfeld will host the local premiere of his new flick I Am So Proud Of You, and since the Hertz is legendary for being involved in every aspect of creation, I can only assume the following skinny comes courtesy of him:

Cult animator and Academy Award nominee Don Hertzfeldt (Rejected, the Meaning of Life, Billy’s Balloon) visits Seattle for a special one-night-only event! A selection of Don’ss classic animated shorts return to the big screen, culminating in the exclusive regional premiere of a brand new film. His longest piece to date, I am so proud of you is the eagerly anticipated second chapter to Everything will be OK, winner of the Sundance Film Festival’s Grand Jury Award in Short Filmmaking and named by many critics as one of the best films of 2007. The screening will be followed by a live interview and audience Q+A with Don Hertzfeldt.

The only review of the film appears to be the one posted on Herzy’s site, and reads: “”….a f- masterpiece. I can’t even begin to articulate my thoughts about the film but it just gave me shivers and I wasn’t able to attend the party after the screening. Just had to be alone. It had this effect on a number of other people here too…. stunning, beautiful, tragic, absurd work.” – Chris Robinson, artistic director Ottawa International Animation Festival”

Hyperbole? Probably. But then again Hertzfeld is a genius. Hmm.

What if…what if Robinson is underselling this thing?

Well, the OIAF exists, and Robinson writes for Salon.com, and the Internet never lies, so it might be true. It really doesn’t matter, actually. H-feely is something of a recluse, and this is one of only a handful of dates he’s appearing at; we owe him, as a city, our attendance.